Carol the Pilgrim heads to Florence A weird mix of events led to Carol the Pilgrim being 'Lost in Florence at Midnight'. It all began with the train trip from Orvieto to Florence. There was one of those usual delays where the train just suddenly stops - for 3 hours! The delay was due to... Continue Reading →
Mont Fort Sunrise at 3328 m is dazzling!
Mont Fort Sunrise is one of those 'accidentally cultured' travel experiences that my sense of adventure seems to attract! I have to admit, I was totally unaware that Mont Fort existed. But, unable to resist a sunrise photoshoot at 3328 m, I recently found myself heading skyward towards this magnificent destination. Mont Fort Sunrise Mont... Continue Reading →
Swiss Via Francigena: On the Road with Sigeric in Switzerland
The Via Francigena is a pilgrim route from Canterbury to Rome. It is based on a journey made by Archbishop Sigeric in 990 AD when he went to Rome to receive his Pallium from the Pope. On his return journey he wrote a diary recording the 79 places where he rested. Today, these places form... Continue Reading →
Carol: The Accidental Pilgrim
The Via Francigena Carol had always wondered what it would be like to be a pilgrim walking the ancient medieval Via Francigena pilgrimage route from Canterbury to Rome. So, this is a story about how she accidentally became a pilgrim when she decided to visit Romainmôtier Abbey in Switzerland. But, her primary motive for the... Continue Reading →
Three Hectic Days in England
England in only three days was a very enjoyable challenge! But given my love of manor houses, palaces, castles, cathedrals and fine dining we managed it quite well. I do hope to inspire the reader to travel in our footsteps! Arrival in England The flight from Sydney to London is arduous, to put it... Continue Reading →
Turin in a day of history and culture!
Turin is a city of marvels! In just one day, we visited ancient Egypt and Rome, the glittering gold of Cathedrals and Palaces. Also, the fashions and flavours of Via Roma! We hired a car at Turin airport and drove across the city to the luxurious Turin Palace Hotel for a two night visit. Trip... Continue Reading →
Searching for the Via Francigena
The Via Francigena Historic Background of the Via Francigena This year, our travels focussed on 'searching for' the Via Francigena, a medieval pilgrim route from Canterbury to Rome. The pilgrimage is based on a diary written by Archbishop Sigeric when he travelled to Rome in 990 AD to receive his Pallium from the Pope. On... Continue Reading →
Let’s Have Lunch in Aosta, Italy!
'Let's have lunch in Aosta, Italy!' We were a bit surprised when our son-in-law, Gareth, made this suggestion at 11 am one chilly morning in November. 'That's a long way to go for lunch!', we exclaimed. 'It's only a one hour drive away, plenty of time!', said Gareth. Now this is a classic example of... Continue Reading →